Fate's Promise
by WindowChild
Summary: The struggle of Percabeth, and how it was meant to be.


Sometimes it felt unbelievable that they were together. All of fate had been pushing them apart; their parents, their destinies. Nothing had said that they were _supposed_ to be together, and yet that was how it felt. Despite the conflict, despite the struggle, their lives continued to unfurl as one. They _were_ together, and fate no longer had a say.

Rachel was water under the bridge. At the time, she had felt like a coming tsunami, only waiting to rip them apart. At least, that's what Annabeth had thought. But in the end, she had not mattered. She and Percy's fling had been inconsequential, and she somehow remained their friend. Fate had made allowances, phasing her out as an obstacle almost as quickly as she'd become one.

Calypso was a cautionary tale. A what if, hanging casually around their necks as the prospect of a possible path. Percy had almost, _almost_ fallen completely for her. He had almost left their future behind, all for a story that would not be his. She was what _could _have happened; she was the worst in unrealized form; she was a tomorrow neither accepted by the Fates nor themselves.

Grover was tragedy. His love for Percy was unrequited, fruitlessly tapping against the mountain that was his best friends' relationship. It was almost invisible, except for the seldom glance that Annabeth caught. He made their lives a true Greek play, and yet his nature made the confusion silent. He wouldn't say it, he was too kind, and he loved them _both._ He was fate's gift.

Their parents were tradition. They were the ropes, constraining any possibility of romance. And yet, they were broken through. There was a flaw in the gods' power, a gaping hole that allowed their kin to overcome_ their_ past. It shouldn't have happened, and yet it did anyway. For once, Fate did not favor the omnipotent.

Luke was illusion. He was Annabeth's perhaps, a could-have-been that never truly existed. She'd loved him, she thought, but once she learned of his return of affection, she found that it did not matter to her. Luke may have been her past, but Percy was her entire future. Without him, she could not imagine such a thing as tomorrow. Here, fate was a teacher.

"Percy?" She was suddenly happy, the sheer _thrill_ of their romance tapping into her senses. "Hi." It was much more quiet, as their eyes met and she grew speechless. She hoped they'd never lose that affect on her.

"Hey," he replied. His grin almost matched hers, but with a shade of something else. Knowledge, maybe. He knew how she felt, but he'd known for longer than she had. "Are you okay?"

She could only nod, her cheeks flushing. They weren't yet in a relationship where they were _constantly _affectionate for one another, and she couldn't help but long for such a place. Instead, she sat as close to Percy as she could, whispering her next words. "We've done a lot, haven't we? To be together?"

If possible, his smile expanded. He placed an effortlessly gentle hand upon her back, showing that they could truly touch one another now. "Yeah." What he lacked in eloquence, he made up for with his movements. Every thing he did, she soaked up as if it were poetry. "We don't talk about it a lot, you know."

She relaxed, a little bit. It was nice, allowing the smaller gestures to only tinge their everyday conversation. "No, we don't. I think we think we're leaving well enough alone."

He looked doubtful. "I guess." He removed his hand from her back, slowly moving it down her arm. It tingled, and she giggled with the shock.

"Well," Annabeth said, "I – I only brought it up because I think it's relevant."

"To what?" he asked, still contented with massaging her.

"To everything about us. I mean, it makes us us, doesn't it?" It was the most analytical she ever was, and she blushed slightly.

"Mmm, yeah. Well, think about it this way. We might not have gotten together if it hadn't happened." As if to reassure himself that they _were_ in fact together, he repositioned once again, this time putting his arm around her.

This made sense, in a way. Percy's bursts in intelligence always surprised Annabeth, as they were usually so perfectly exact. It was necessary, then. Everything that had happened. They never would have realized how much they cared for each other, if it hadn't been for life getting in the way.

Fate had been on their side, all along. It had only been toying with their mind, misleading them to think it wouldn't happen. Fate had protected them, as much as it had hurt along the way.

"I love you," Annabeth said. It was sudden, serious and brief. She liked the way it flowed off of her tongue, though. Easy to say, easy for her to mean.

His face froze, stuck in a moment of elated shock. "Really?" he sounded so young. "I thought…" He shook his head. "Never mind. I love you too."

It was the first they'd said it. And it seemed right, having it come from the realization that all of their hindrances had helped. Fate had brought them together, and it would continue to aid them along the way. When they kissed, they both knew how lucky they were.

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I know I hint at lots of other pairings, but that's just sort of how I roll when it comes to Percabeth. Reviews would be majorly adored & appreciated.

: )

-Abbie


End file.
